Representative Joan Brady
SC House of Representatives, District 78 (R)
Rep. Brady is starting her third term in the House and was unopposed in the November election. In her third year, she sponsored the Sustainable legislation. This past session, She sponsored the Sex Offender Residency Restriction Bill that was passed into law. She is a member of the House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee serving on the Banking and Consumer Affairs sub-committee and the Business Subcommittee, The Rules Committee, and The Committee to Screen Candidates for Boards and Trustees of State Colleges and Universities.
Rep. Brady was awarded the prestigious 2005 Henry Toll Fellowship by the Council of State Legislatures. As a first year freshman, Rep. Brady successfully sponsored the Sex Offender Registry Bill, signed into law by the Governor. In her second term she was primary sponsor of the "Meth" bill designed to curtail "methamphetamine" production in SC. And, last year was primary sponsor of the "Sustainable or Green Building" bill for State Government.
Rep. Brady Chairs both the Women's Legislative Caucus and the Republican Women's Caucus. She serves on the Board of the Council of State Governments and Co-Chair of the Public Safety and Justice Task Force. She is a State Director for Women in Government. She also serves on numerous local boards including, EnginuitySC, Palmetto Center for Women, and the Boy Scouts.
Rep. Brady is a former Vice-Chair of Richland County Council and a former Mayor of the Town of Arcadia Lakes where she resides with her family.
Here are Rep. Brady's answers to some questions posed by the Institute.
Has political office been a life long goal/dream of yours?
Politics has always been intriguing to me, so I choose a strategic path to the statehouse. I wanted to learn the political process on all levels. By serving as a small town mayor, and vice-Chair of Richland County Council I gained the confidence to run for the House of Representatives.
Tell us something your friends would be surprised to learn about you?
I have always been socially shy. It has taken great practice for me to confidently reach out my hand to strangers and say, "please vote for me."
SC would be a better place if only...
We had a comprehensive, unified, bi-partisan plan for progress.
What is your leadership style?
Knowledge is power. I strive to be informed and able to articulate the issues. If I can gain respect I can influence support.
Your mother always said...
"Don't pound your fist on the kitchen table and complain unless you are ready to be part of the solution."